The present invention relates to a device for supporting a saddle thereon and more particular to a portable saddle supporting device.
The use of racks is known for supporting saddles thereon when not in use, for example when the horses upon which the saddles are to be used are at rest or are being groomed. Generally when using a horse away from the stable or area where it is normally kept, removal of the saddle from the horse requires the saddle to be undesirably supported on the ground or some other inconvenient supporting surface which is not intended to support a saddle thereon. This occurs because known racks, in general, are intended to be fixed to a stable wall or the like and are thus not well suited to portability.
The present invention is concerned with certain improvements to saddle supporting devices.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a supporting device for supporting a saddle on a truck having a truck box with a plurality of stake pockets formed along respective sides of the box, the supporting device comprising:
a post arranged to be slidably mounted within one of the stake pockets of the truck; and
a support frame extending laterally outwardly from one side of the post and spanning transversely to a longitudinal direction of the post, the support frame being suitably arranged to support the saddle thereon.
The slidable mounting of the saddle supporting device within one of the stake pockets provides a support for supporting a saddle thereon regardless of where the saddle is being used. The device is thus portable with the truck to provide a suitable supporting surface for a saddle even when away from the stable or related area where the horses upon which the saddle is to be used are normally kept.
There may additionally be provided a bracket arranged to be mounted on a supporting surface having a channel therein which is arranged to slidably receive the post of the supporting device for mounting the device on the supporting surface. The channel is preferably similar in dimensions to the stake pockets of the truck box so as to similarly be suitably sized for slidably receiving the post therein. The use of such a bracket enables the saddle supporting device to be used for supporting a saddle both when at the stable or when away from the stable.
There may be provided an arm extending laterally outwardly from the post transversely to the longitudinal direction of the post which mounts the support frame thereon. The support frame, and the corresponding saddle supported thereon, may thus be supported on the arm laterally spaced apart from the post and the corresponding side of the truck which may be supporting the post therein.
The support frame preferably includes a central portion extending laterally outward from the post and a pair of side portions extending downward and outwardly from respective opposing sides of the central portion so as to generally conform to the shape of a saddle.
The post is preferably rectangular in cross section having similar dimensions to that of the stake pockets. Forming the post of non-metallic material, for example wood, provides some protection to the truck from scratches and the like due to repeated insertion and removal of the post from the stake pockets of the truck.